Poem Analysis - Towards Break Of Day

Yeats’s "Towards Break Of Day" is a contemplative poem steeped in a sense of loss and disillusionment. The poem navigates between the personal and the mythical, juxtaposing a cherished childhood memory with a shared, yet divergent, dream experience. Initially, the tone is questioning and uncertain, shifting to a lament over the unattainable nature of idealized memory. Finally, the poem closes with a sense of resignation tinged with a hint of shared sorrow.

The Unreachable Past

One dominant theme in the poem is the inevitable disillusionment with the past. The speaker revisits a childhood memory of a waterfall on Ben Bulben, a place he held "dear." However, upon reflection, he realizes that even if he were to physically return, he could only touch "cold stone and water," not the magnified delight of his childhood perception. This highlights the idea that memories, particularly those from childhood, are idealized and cannot be replicated in reality. The line "Nothing that we love over-much / Is ponderable to our touch" encapsulates this idea perfectly, suggesting that the very act of idealizing something makes it inherently untouchable and unattainable.

Shared Dreams and Individual Realities

The poem also explores the theme of shared experience versus individual perception. The opening lines question whether the speaker and the woman beside him shared a dream or merely dreamed separately under the same "cold gleam of day." This ambiguity sets the stage for a contrast between the speaker's nostalgic, personal dream and the woman's "bitterer sleep" filled with the image of Arthur's stag. While both are dreaming, their dreams are distinct and reflect their individual emotional states. The stag of Arthur is often seen as representing spiritual quest or perhaps, lost ideals, further distancing the woman’s dream from the speaker's more grounded, personal experience of nostalgia.

The Coldness of Reality

Reality's harshness is a recurring theme, exemplified by the repeated use of "cold" imagery. The "first cold gleam of day," the "cold stone and water," and the "cold blown spray" all contribute to a sense of bleakness and disillusionment. This coldness represents the stark contrast between the warmth of idealized memory and the harshness of the present. The tactile sense of the "cold blown spray in my nostril" brings the reader into the immediate, unpleasant experience, underscoring the speaker's awakening to a less-than-ideal reality.

Symbolism of Water and the Stag

Water, specifically the waterfall, serves as a powerful symbol of memory and the passage of time. The waterfall, once a source of "childish delight," is now reduced to "cold stone and water," symbolizing the erosion of innocence and the unattainability of the past. The "marvellous stag of Arthur," on the other hand, is a more complex symbol. As a creature associated with Arthurian legend, it may represent a lost or idealized world, perhaps one of chivalry and spiritual purity. Its "leap / From mountain steep to steep" suggests a pursuit that is both exhilarating and ultimately unattainable. The stark white color of the stag further reinforces the idea of it being something removed from the everyday, ordinary experience. Is the appearance of the stag indicative of an awareness of national mythology? Or does it represent some personal goal or regret?

Final Thoughts on Loss and Longing

In conclusion, "Towards Break Of Day" is a poignant exploration of the human condition, grappling with themes of lost innocence, the unattainable nature of idealized memory, and the isolating nature of individual experience. Through vivid imagery and contrasting symbols, Yeats crafts a poem that resonates with a universal sense of longing and disillusionment, reminding us that the past, no matter how cherished, remains forever out of reach, and perhaps, our dreams reflect what we cannot change in our waking life.